Card device for high-speed wireless data communication

ABSTRACT

A card device for high-speed wireless data communication. The card device comprises an antenna for transmitting and receiving RF signals, an RF signal converter for converting an external RF signal received by the antenna into a baseband signal and converting an internal data signal to be externally transmitted into an RF signal, and a mobile communication modem for outputting data to be transmitted through the antenna, to the RF signal converter, receiving data received by the antenna from the RF signal converter, checking whether a dual port RAM is accessible, and performing a data input/output operation with the dual port RAM if the dual port RAM is accessible. The dual port RAM has two ports connected respectively to the mobile communication modem and a PCMCIA interface. The dual port RAM relays data transmission/reception accesses between the mobile communication modem and the PCMCIA interface. The PCMCIA interface is connected to a personal computer according to a PCMCIA protocol. The PCMCIA interface checks whether the dual port RAM is accessible, and performs a data input/output operation with the dual port RAM if the dual port RAM is accessible. The present card device can perform wireless data communication much more rapidly and stably than that via an existing USB interface and UART serial bus interface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a card device for high-speedwireless data communication.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] Wireless data communication signifies that a person in movementconnects a mobile communication terminal, such as a portable computer orpersonal digital assistant (PDA), to a cellular phone and transmits andreceives various data wirelessly.

[0005] In order to overcome the inconvenience of separate connection toa cellular phone, there have recently been developed card devices forwireless data communication containing mobile communication modems.

[0006]FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the constructionof a conventional MSM 5500 mobile communication modem by Qualcom™ Inc.(referred to hereinafter as an “MSM modem”) which is contained in awireless data communication card device.

[0007] As shown in FIG. 2, the MSM modem includes a CDMA (Code DivisionMultiple Access) processor 31, a universal processor 32, a USB(Universal Serial Bus) interface 33, a UART (Universal AsynchronousReceiver/Transmitter) serial bus interface 34, and a universal interfacebus 35.

[0008] The card device equipped with the MSM modem is mounted to amobile communication terminal, such as a portable computer or PDA, toconduct wireless data communication via the USB interface 33 and UARTserial bus interface 34.

[0009] In an MSM modem including a high-speed CDMA processor with amaximum data rate of 2.45 Mbps, however, a USB interface satisfies thedata rate, but is difficult to implement for connection with a PCMCIA(Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) interface, anda UART serial bus interface is limited in data rate. For this reason,such an MSM modem including the high-speed CDMA processor cannot becontained and used in a card device for wireless data communication.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of theabove problems, and it is an object of the present invention to providea card device wherein a mobile communication modem with a high-speedCDMA processor is connected in parallel with a dual port random accessmemory (RAM) to transmit and receive address and data signals to/fromthe dual port RAM via a universal interface bus, thereby enablinghigh-speed wireless data communication.

[0011] In accordance with the present invention, the above and otherobjects can be accomplished by the provision of a card device forhigh-speed wireless data communication, comprising: an antenna fortransmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals; an RF signalconverter for converting an external RF signal received by the antennainto a baseband signal and converting an internal data signal to beexternally transmitted into an RF signal; a mobile communication modemfor outputting data to be transmitted through the antenna, to the RFsignal converter, receiving data received by the antenna from the RFsignal converter, checking whether a dual port random access memory(RAM) is accessible, and performing a data input/output operation withthe dual port RAM if the dual port RAM is accessible; the dual port RAMhaving two ports connected respectively to the mobile communicationmodem and a PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card InternationalAssociation) interface, the dual port RAM relaying datatransmission/reception accesses between the mobile communication modemand the PCMCIA interface; and the PCMCIA interface being connected to apersonal computer according to a PCMCIA protocol, the PCMCIA interfacechecking whether the dual port RAM is accessible, and performing a datainput/output operation with the dual port RAM if the dual port RAM isaccessible.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The above and other objects, features and other advantages of thepresent invention will be more clearly understood from the followingdetailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

[0013]FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the construction of a carddevice for high-speed wireless data communication in accordance with thepresent invention;

[0014]FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the constructionof a mobile communication modem contained in the high-speed wirelessdata communication card device in accordance with the present invention;and

[0015]FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a mounted state of thehigh-speed wireless data communication card device to a portablecomputer in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016]FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the construction of a carddevice for high-speed wireless data communication in accordance with thepresent invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showingthe construction of a mobile communication modem contained in thehigh-speed wireless data communication card device in accordance withthe present invention.

[0017] With reference to FIG. 1, the high-speed wireless datacommunication card device according to the present invention comprisesan antenna 10, a radio frequency (RF) signal converter 20, a mobilecommunication modem 30, a dual port RAM 40 and a PCMCIA interface 50.

[0018] The antenna 10 acts to receive an external RF signal transmittedthereto and transmit an internal data signal externally.

[0019] The RF signal converter 20 acts to convert the RF signal receivedby the antenna into a baseband signal and convert the internal datasignal to be externally transmitted into an RF signal.

[0020] The mobile communication modem 30 enables a user in movement toperform wireless data communication with another party.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile communication modem 30 transmitsand receives input/output address and data signals of a universalprocessor over a universal interface bus, so as to enable high-speeddata communication, which was unable to be performed via an existingUART serial interface bus.

[0022] The dual port RAM 40 functions to access first and second addresssignals and first and second data signals inputted through two ports atthe same time.

[0023] The PCMCIA interface 50 functions to convert formats of data tobe transmitted and received data into a data format of a PCMCIA busbetween the card device according to the present invention and aportable computer or PDA coupled therewith.

[0024] A description will hereinafter be given of the operation of thehigh-speed wireless data communication card device with the above-statedconstruction in accordance with the present invention.

[0025]FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a mounted state of thehigh-speed wireless data communication card device to a portablecomputer in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention. If the high-speed wireless data communication card device ismounted into a PCMCIA slot 100 of a portable computer or PDA as shown inFIG. 3, then a CDMA processor of the card device is driven.

[0026] Thereafter, the high-speed wireless data communication carddevice and the portable computer equipped with it perform theirrespective initialization operations of driving their respective devicedrives to conduct data communication. These initialization operationsare well known to those skilled in the art and a description thereofwill thus be omitted.

[0027] Once the high-speed wireless data communication card device isinitialized after being mounted to the portable computer, a user beginsto conduct wireless data communication through a variety of applicationprograms.

[0028] At this time, when the PCMCIA interface accesses the same addressof the dual port RAM being accessed by the mobile communication modem,the dual port RAM outputs an interrupt signal to the PCMCIA interface.

[0029] Alternatively, at the time that the mobile communication modemaccesses the same address of the dual port RAM being accessed by thePCMCIA interface, the dual port RAM outputs an interrupt signal to themobile communication modem. p In this manner, the mobile communicationmodem and a central processing unit of the mobile communication terminalequipped with the card device can prevent a collision from occurringduring data communication.

[0030] Therefore, the high-speed wireless data communication card deviceaccording to the present invention can perform wireless datacommunication much more rapidly and stably than that via an existing USBinterface and UART serial bus interface.

[0031] As apparent from the above description, the present inventionprovides a card device for high-speed wireless data communicationwherein a mobile communication modem with a high-speed CDMA processor isconnected in parallel with a dual port RAM to transmit and receiveaddress and data signals to/from the dual port RAM via a universalinterface bus. According to the present invention, the high-speedwireless data communication card device is able to perform wireless datacommunication much more rapidly and stably than that via an existing USBinterface and UART serial bus interface.

[0032] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention havebeen disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art willappreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions arepossible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the inventionas disclosed in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A card device for high-speed wireless datacommunication, comprising: an antenna for transmitting and receivingradio frequency (RF) signals; an RF signal converter for converting anexternal RF signal received by said antenna into a baseband signal andconverting an internal data signal to be externally transmitted into anRF signal; a mobile communication modem for outputting data to betransmitted through said antenna, to said RF signal converter, receivingdata received by said antenna from said RF signal converter, checkingwhether a dual port random access memory (RAM) is accessible, andperforming a data input/output operation with said dual port RAM if saiddual port RAM is accessible; said dual port RAM having two portsconnected respectively to said mobile communication modem and a PCMCIA(Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) interface,said dual port RAM relaying data transmission/reception accesses betweensaid mobile communication modem and said PCMCIA interface; and saidPCMCIA interface being connected to a personal computer according to aPCMCIA protocol, said PCMCIA interface checking whether said dual portRAM is accessible, and performing a data input/output operation withsaid dual port RAM if said dual port RAM is accessible.
 2. The carddevice as set forth in claim 1, wherein said mobile communication modemis adapted to transmit and receive address and data signals to/from saiddual port RAM over a universal interface bus.
 3. The card device as setforth in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said dual port RAM is adapted tooutput an interrupt signal to said PCMCIA interface when its sameaddress being accessed by said mobile communication modem is accessed bysaid PCMCIA interface.
 4. The card device as set forth in claim 1 orclaim 2, wherein said dual port RAM is adapted to output an interruptsignal to said mobile communication modem when its same address beingaccessed by said PCMCIA interface is accessed by said mobilecommunication modem.